India Advance Both Kabaddi Teams to Asian Games Finals as Shooting Squad Strikes Gold

India's men's and women's kabaddi teams secured comprehensive semifinal victories at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday, remaining firmly on track to defend their respective continental titles. The women's squad defeated Nepal 48-24 after building a commanding 31-17 half-time advantage, preserving an unbeaten tournament run as they chase a fourth consecutive gold medal in the competition.

Shortly after, the men's kabaddi team produced an equally dominant performance against Thailand, racing to a 37-18 lead at the interval before closing out a 66-28 victory. Both defending champions advanced directly to their respective summit clashes, continuing India's historic dominance in the discipline since kabaddi was introduced to the Asian Games program.

Athlete longevity relies on comprehensive support systems including fitness trainers, nutritionists, and psychologists, alongside specific training adaptations past the age of 35 such as controlled gym strengthening and breathing exercises. Meanwhile, competition schedules feature multiple quarter-final events spanning various weight categories across Sunday and Monday.

Away from the kabaddi mat, the shooting range yielded a breakthrough title for the Indian delegation as Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh claimed gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. The pair bounced back from individual setbacks earlier in the competition by topping the qualification round with a score of 587, featuring 29 inner tens.

In the final showdown, the duo maintained consistent scoring pressure to finish with 484.6 points, establishing a new Asian record margin and defeating South Korea by 6.6 points. The victory provided India with its second gold medal of the ongoing Games, following earlier podium finishes across shooting and athletics events.

The Indian women's hockey team extended its unbeaten run in Pool B with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over hosts Japan. Lalremsiami opened the scoring in the first quarter before Ishika Chaudhary doubled the advantage just before half-time from a penalty corner deflection.

Although Japan responded through Shiho Kobayakawa in the final quarter, Navneet Kaur restored a secure margin in the third quarter with a lifted finish over the goalkeeper. The win marked India's fourth consecutive victory in the group stage, confirming their qualification for the tournament semifinals ahead of their final pool fixture against Singapore.

India strengthened its overall medal tally through strong knockout performances in racket sports across Nagoya. Forty-year-old squash veteran Joshna Chinappa, partnering Velavan Senthilkumar, advanced to the mixed doubles semifinals with a straight-game victory over their Philippine opponents, assuring the country of at least a bronze medal.

In table tennis, Diya Chitale and Manush Shah combined to eliminate Hong Kong's eighth-ranked mixed doubles pair in a four-game battle, securing a semifinal berth. Meanwhile, boxer Sachin Siwach advanced to the men's 60kg quarterfinals via a 4-1 split decision against Jordan's Mohammad Abu Jajeh, setting up a clash against Japan's Shunsuke Kitamoto.

With multiple medal rounds scheduled ahead, the Indian contingent holds 19 total medals, comprising two gold, eight silver, and nine bronze across disciplines.

In Asian Games kabaddi tournaments, both losing semi-finalists receive bronze medals since no separate third-place match is held, with gold medal matches scheduled for September 26. Historically, Indian men have secured eight gold medals in the discipline since 1990, while Indian women have claimed three golds since 2010.